What caused the ozone hole over the Arctic?

What caused the ozone hole over the Arctic?

In 2011 scientists noticed the amount of ozone in the Arctic stratosphere declined to levels low enough to be described as an ozone hole. This was linked to persistently cold temperatures and circling winds, known as the Arctic vortex, which prevented cold air from escaping the region.

Can the ozone hole form in the Arctic?

An ozone hole has developed over the Arctic, a rare occurrence that scientists say is the biggest such atmospheric opening ever recorded over the planet’s northernmost regions. “There is some Arctic ozone depletion every year, but it’s more extreme in 2020 than in most years.”

Which gas is responsible for ozone hole?

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Ozone depletion occurs when chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons—gases formerly found in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants—are released into the atmosphere (see details below).

Why is there no ozone hole in the Northern Hemisphere?

While a large ozone hole opens every autumn over the South Pole, the conditions that allow these holes to form are much rarer in the Northern Hemisphere, the ESA researchers said. The Arctic ozone hole opened this year only because the cold air was concentrated in the area for much longer than is typical.

Why we do not have an ozone hole over the Arctic region as big as over the Antarctic region?

However, these reductions, typically 20-25%, are much smaller than those observed currently each spring over the Antarctic (the ozone hole). As a result, large-scale weather systems disturb the wind flow, making it less stable over the Arctic region than over the Antarctic continent.

Why is the ozone hole smaller in the Arctic than in the Antarctic?

Although the same basic chemical mechanisms operate in both hemispheres, the Arctic winter stratosphere is generally warmer than the Antarctic, and it warms up earlier in the spring. These two factors taken together explain why ozone depletion in the Arctic is generally much smaller than in the Antarctic.

Who discovered ozone hole?

The discovery of the annual depletion of ozone above the Antarctic was first announced by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin, in a paper which appeared in Nature on May 16, 1985.

How does CFC destroy ozone?

Once in the atmosphere, CFCs drift slowly upward to the stratosphere, where they are broken up by ultraviolet radiation, releasing chlorine atoms, which are able to destroy ozone molecules. When sunlight returns in the spring, the chlorine begins to destroy ozone.

When was the Arctic ozone hole discovered?

In the scientific journal Nature on May 16, 1985, three scientists from the British Antarctic Survey announce their detection of abnormally low levels of ozone over the South Pole.

Which country has ozone hole?

Antarctica, where ozone depletion has been most severe due to very low temperatures is expected to recover much more slowly. It’s projected that Antarctic ozone concentrations will only begin to approach 1960 levels by the end of the century.

When did the ozone hole start?

UV-driven phenolic formation in tree rings has dated the start of ozone depletion in northern latitudes to the late 1700s.

When was the first ozone hole discovered?